Kubuntu Focus: Desktop Theme Guided Solution

Change the Theme

Use the directions below to change or reset the desktop theme. If you want to restore only the default panel, see the Reset Panel section.

Open System Settings
Click on Appearance
Click on Global Theme
Click on Focus Default or other theme.
OPTIONAL: Check Desktop and window layout. SEE WARNING, BELOW.
Click Apply

WARNING: using the Desktop and window layout option will clean up out-of-place widgets, but it will also remove any custom widgets you have on the desktop.

If you want to reset only the Kubuntu Focus Hints Widgets, click the icon to use the Reset Desktop Widgets tool discussed here.

Switch desktop themes using System Settings.

The Kubuntu Focus has 10 stock Global Themes. These include Breeze, Breeze Dark, Breeze Twilight, and Kubuntu. The default Global Theme is Focus Default and it uses a bottom panel like stock Kubuntu. The same layout is also available in Focus Light and Focus Twilight. There are also three "vertical" themes that maximize usable screen height by placing the panel on the side. These themes are called Focus Vertical, Focus Vertical Light, and Focus Vertical Twilight.

You can download and use a different theme by clicking on the Get New Global Themes button. While these themes can be fun and engaging, we recommend using one of the stock Global Themes for daily work, as these are actively updated and tested with your system. Only download themes from individuals you trust, as they may contain executable code and some have even deleted user data. Be careful!

Download new themes in System Settings, but be careful!

Hints Widget

Every Kubuntu Focus model comes with an 11-page Hints Widget. By default, the Hints Widget appears at the top-right corner of the desktop. It provides handy advice for both beginners and seasoned Linux veterans. Highlights include:

Model-specific Plasma Desktop shortcuts for tiling windows, switching desktops, or finding a lost mouse pointer.
Model-specific shortcuts for your hardware controls. Examples include brightness, volume, sleep, and screenshots.
A cheat sheet with commonly used Bash shell commands. Examples include finding files, troubleshooting network issues, and fixing permissions.
A Vim text editor quick reference. This brief-yet-thorough guide also shows how to exit vim.

Show Widget on Demand

Long press, then drag-and-drop the widget to the panel. This installs an icon in the panel that you can click on to view and interact with the widget.
To restore the widget to the desktop, right-click on the panel and select Enter Edit Mode. Then drag the icon from the panel back to the desktop. You can now exit edit mode. Then long-press on the widget icon to resize it.
An alternative way to restore the widget is to delete the icon from the panel and then use the To restore the widget step detailed in the next section.

Remove and Restore Widget

To delete or move the widget, long-press on it until you see placement options and a trash can on the bottom-left corner.
Recreate Hints Widget and icons. See Reset Desktop Widgets for more details.

Find commands and shortcuts with the Hints Widget.

Panel Reset

Use the directions below reset the panel to the default.

Right-click on the panel you wish to remove
Click Edit Panel...
Click Remove Panel
Right-click on the desktop
Click + Add Panel > Kubuntu Focus Default Panel

Reset the panel to the default using the Kubuntu Focus Default Panel option.

Troubleshooting

Q: I can move my cursor but clicks do not work. This occurs when using the default, KDE Plasma desktop. How can I resolve this?

A: This is relatively rare, but it does happen. It appears to be a bug somewhere between QT and Plasma because it has been reported on Intel and Nvidia graphics. Luckily, there is an easy work-around that restores clicks and takes just a few seconds:

Press [CTRL][ALT][F3].
Wait 2-5 seconds until you see a virtual terminal on one or more screens. This will be black with white text that prompts you to login.
On 24.04 LTS (Noble), press [CTRL][ALT][F2] to return to the KDE Plasma desktop.
On 22.04 LTS (Jammy), press [CTRL][ALT][F1] to return to the KDE Plasma desktop.
Clicks should now register.

Q: When I change the theme, sometimes the icons and widgets are out of place or incorrectly sized. What can I do to fix this?

A: See the options found in the Change the Theme section immediately after the instructions.

Q: When I hover over an icon in my task bar on the panel, I see a thumbnail of the application. How do I turn this off?

A: Right click near an app icon in the panel (but not on top of one). Then select Configure icons-only taskbar. In the first, Appearance tab, uncheck the Show small window previews... option and then click Apply.

Revisions

This is a partial revision history. See the git repository for all entries.

2025-04-19 274c0ff1 Update grammar and content per audit
2025-03-28 446a108a Audit steps to be up to date. Minor language and image changes only.
2025-03-04 7e0f76de Add history to revisions
2024-12-28 ee7b4601 Update metadata content, collapsable sections, lightbox
2024-12-06 35123b93 Update hints widget presentation
2024-12-06 35123b93 Normalize Hints Widget name and keyboard shortcut format
2024-09-10 73fcff02 Finalize Lightbox and doc update
2024-09-05 14887652 Major Lightbox updates, fix some out-of-date documentation
2024-08-19 57a2389d Add white theme
2024-07-28 ee7b4601 Update metadata content, collapsable sections, lightbox
2024-07-26 7814a97d Sync primary images between guided solutions slideshow and articles
2024-07-07 39d71fcd Add Git hash to revisions
2024-06-05 29bef52a Update for Noble
2023-12-16 f13253d2 Add click issue to troubleshooting
2023-11-18 e770b1c6 Add search and help bar
2023-03-01 7fb17d71 Add advice to turn off app preview
2022-07-11 536787c6 Updated themes to 22.04
2021-10-10 5728326e Reformat to 2-column
2021-09-22 dc862884 Update link and headline colors
2021-08-24 8bc3a8c3 Update theme, index description, images
2021-08-24 8bc3a8c3 Add theme options, update images, hints
2021-08-23 681261b4 Review and update codeblocks
2021-07-28 1b9cf29b Revise units to have a space after number
2021-05-11 ba4665e4 First publication

Disclaimer

We try hard to provide a useful solution validated by professionals. However, we cannot anticipate every situation, and therefore cannot guarantee this procedure will work for your needs. Always backup your data and test the solution to determine the correct procedure for you.

THIS SOLUTION IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOLUTION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Desktop Theme

Reset Desktop or Panel to Default